SEND-Ghana educates stakeholders on NHIS Capitation

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), would be rolling out nationwide the capitation programme under the National Health Insurance scheme.

Rolling out of the Capitation nationwide is as a result of the success chalked out in the pilot phase in the Ashanti Region, even though there were some challenges.

Capitation would be introduced in Upper East, Upper West and the Volta Regions by the end of the year.

Mr Joseph Annor, Business Systems Manager, NHIA, speaking at a-day's sensitisation workshop for stakeholders on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Capitation, noted that despite the controversies, the pilot was successful, hence the roll out in the other regions.

The workshop was organised by SEND-Ghana, an advocacy organisation to improve on information availability and understanding for stakeholders including service providers and their clients, civil society organisations in order to smoothen its implementation in the remaining regions.

He attributed the controversies that erupted in the Ashanti Region to a misunderstanding, which has been resolved, hence the roll out.

He said the capitation concept is a pro-poor policy programme aimed at providing financial access to basic healthcare needs of all persons resident in the country.

The Business Systems Manager said it is a payment mechanism in which a pre-determined fixed rate is paid in advance to service providers in the beginning of every month to provide a defined set of services.

Mr Annor said the objective is to simplify claims processing, share financial risk, improve efficiency and effectiveness of the system and foster closer service provider-patient relationship.

"Challenges of the capitation includes under provide services leading to reduced quality of healthcare delivery, attempt to enroll healthier individuals and unnecessary referral to other service providers, " he added.

He expressed the hope that the senstisation on the capitation would continue to ensure that stakeholders understand the issues well.

Ms Harriet Aygemang, Programmes Officer, SEND-Ghana, said the workshop was to educate stakeholders to better serve their clients.

She said the controversies in the pilot phase of the programme in the Ashanti Region suggested that there were limited information and understanding about its implementation.

“We hope this education has cleared the air and people are now cleared in their minds about the concept.”